MANSFIELD — Nearly one in five traffic signals in Mansfield feature “extremely outdated vintage equipment,” according to city engineer Bob Bianchi.
He hopes to replace three of the busiest ones with a $975,000 signalization project that would include a $425,000 Ohio Public Works Commission grant.
Bianchi said the city has 105 signalized intersections — 19 of which cannot perform modern functions, such as a “preemption capability” to assist with Mansfield Fire Department vehicles on emergency calls.
“(These signals) have been around for 60 to 70 years,” he said. “Our goal is to replace these, over time, of course, and bring them up to the the 21st century.”
Mansfield City Council approved his request to apply for the state grant, which would allow for new signals and poles at the intersections of Cline and Marion avenues, Fourth Street and Brookwood Way and Springmill and Mulberry streets.
First Ward Councilwoman Laura Burns asked how the engineering department was prioritizing which signals to replace first.
Bianchi said, “Traffic flow is a big thing and also pedestrians. (For example), Cline and Marion avenues will have pedestrian push buttons that will accommodate people crossing the intersection.”
He told council construction costs for the three signals and poles is estimated at $850,000 with another $125,000 for inspection services.
In addition to the OPWC grant, his proposal is to fund the remainder from the city’s street and maintenance fund ($300,000) and a portion of the city’s permissive sales tax ($250,000).
He showed council members a photo of vintage Crouse-Hinds controller boxes at some city intersections, which are approximately 65 years old.
“The signal controller cannot accommodate pedestrian push-buttons, vehicle detection (for improved intersection efficiency) or EMS preemption,” Bianchi said. “The timing functionality is (also) very limited.”
He said the city has “historically” been approved for OPWC grants.
“So we anticipate getting this one. If we do, the project will start in July of 2025. It has to start after July 1 and will continue into 2026 because there is a nine-month lead time on signal poles. It takes awhile to get those.
“And you have to put the foundations in before you can order them,” he said.
At-large Councilman David Falquette asked Bianchi if there were any signals among the 19 that are simply not needed and could be removed.
Bianchi said, “We are looking at a couple. That’s a good question. Some of them aren’t warranted. But we have to look at sight distance where we are with them.”
Also on Tuesday, City Council:
— heard an impassioned request from Wolfe Avenue resident Matthew Schuster that the city reduce crime in the city by hiring additional police officers.
“I don’t expect our officers to be everywhere all the time. It’s just unrealistic, especially with our current numbers. They need a lot of help,” he said. “What I do expect is our leadership to take this issue seriously and reprioritize our safety to the top of the list.”
The city’s budget in 2024 allows for 87 full-time sworn officers. Four new hires in September raised the city’s total to 79. Schuster said the national average is 2.5 police officers per 1,000 residents and that Mansfield is at 1.7 per 1,000.
To meet the number Schuster suggested would require 120 officers, a level the city has never had, according to former police chief and current Safety Service Director Keith Porch.
“There are solutions to this problem and we need to get our police department (increased) before (city) parks, (Main Street) corridors and color-coded signs even come up for discussion,” Schuster said.
Later in the meeting, 5th Ward Councilman Aurelio Diaz reacted to Schuster’s comments, saying “safety has always been a priority.”
Diaz said projects such as improving city parks and other beautification efforts help provide outlets for young people and also work to reduce crime.
“If you do your homework, the history of Mansfield, for those of us who are from here, and know that all these factors of having deficits in our community and recreation is a huge (negative) impact.
“So it’s easy to say (hire more) cops. People need to do their homework and I support all of these projects because we are looking at all areas of the community, not just one area,” Diaz said.
— approved a proposal to update the city’s agreement with Ardane Miller to provide campground and boat dock management services at Clearfork Reservoir.
— approved the vacation of a portion of Aylesbury Street and a portion of an unnamed alley between Longview and Crestline avenues.
— approved a proposal to allow the city to seek bids for information technology managed services for the city. Mayor Jodie Perry said the idea was not to replace the city’s IT department. “We will continue to have our own IT department for day-to-day operations with boots on the ground.”
— approved the acceptance of a $100,000 grant from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services for METRICH operations in support of the Opiate Response Team.
— approved a new agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation to provide snowplowing and ice control work on highways in and around the City of Mansfield, including U.S. 30 within city limits.
– approved all of the project requests requested by Perry, funded by a portion of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funds.
